enJOY it by Elise Blaha Cripe

how do we feel about frames with no photos?

(Again, retorical question.  Please do not panic, there is not a survey at the end of this post.)

I ask because I am trying to formulate an opinion.  Please observe:

Left Image: Anthropologie, Right Image: Pottery Barn.  Click to enlarge.

I found the Pottery Barn image in a catalog a couple days ago and ripped it out because that looks seriously cool.  Dude, they framed the word "TODAY." 

Then, while scrolling through my bloglines, I saw the Anthropologie image on Decor8 and decided I need to give this idea some serious contemplation.

So I went straight to the source: Domino Magazine dot com.  But I got distracted when I saw the current domino blog entry.  I am going to reprint here, but please follow the link for more:

domino on a Dime: Rope a Dope

Last week I saw the most genius lamp at my friend Elise's apartment: she had coiled jute rope around a very basic style from Target using a glue gun.  I thought of Eugenia Santiesteban's nautical cravings (March issue, page 30) and that glorious 10" Marseille knot.  I want one, but I can't justify spending $50 on the World's Chicest Ball of String.  I do need some new side tables though ... so I think the rope trick will work on a bigger project.  On the attention-to-detail/complulsion scale, Elise might actually beat me (she was working on a needlepoint version of a family photograph!), but she says roping up her lamp was a cinch. Source: Domino Blog

First of all...Needlepoint!  Talk about cool crafts.  Second, is it possible that there is a cooler Target-shopping, Glue-gun welding, Elise in the world?  And more importantly, will she guest star on "Let's Get Crafty!"?

I do not know the answers to any of these questions. 

But I do know that I say "YES!" on frames with no photos.  For the moment.  By the time I get to make these executive decisions and have a wall to call my own, I may have a new grand plan. 

Like glue-gunning some macaroni in the shape of the word "TODAY" on the wall.

why do you read blogs?

Not YOU, Blogland, as I refuse to ask personal questions of my Bleaders (blog readers [and yes, I heard that on another blog...Cathy Z maybe?]).  I know YOU all have your reasons.

No, no.  This is more about me.  Obviously.  My name is in the URL.

But recently, the question was posed on Twopeas.  And I scanned my favorites toolbar (Plug for Firefox! Plug for Firefox!) and came up with some similarities which I thought were interesting. 

I read blogs that are well designed.  That is a huge part of it.  I need to be able to read the font to evaluate the toolbar quality level. 

Blogs that play music tend to scare me.  It is not that I do not appreciate people's taste in sound, but more that I am in class / work and would rather not fail / be fired.

I love a blog that is relevant.  Which means it is written by someone that I can relate to.  But that can be stretched.  I read John Mayer's blog and I have never been able to release a platinum record OR date Jessica Simpson.  Yet.

And of course, I love humor.  Do not misunderstand, I do not need to shoot Diet Cherry 7up out my nose onto my Mac Baby, but I would like a little wit.  Just a tad.  Just enough to let me know the blogger recognizes that as fantastic as his or her waffles were, I care more about the fact that they fell face first into a garbage can after they ate them.

To be clear, I also love to read blogs of friends (real life & cyberspace).  These similarities are what I have noticed in the blogs that I have originally found while playing "Follow That Link Around the World Wide Web" and have since continued to stalk.

And so, Bleaders, if you are still here, and you are not thinking to yourself, "Elise is off the favorites toolbar", I have one more request.  Take a look at bloglines.com.  Because I am just getting into it and I am fairly impressed.  It collects all your blogs and tells you when they are updated.  Essentially making your favorites toolbar obsolete.  Shhhhh, do not tell Firefox.

you think you know, but you have no idea,

This is the diary of Britney Spears Elise Blaha.

Today I:

Remembered for the 800th time to be thankful for website class.  Seriously.  I complain about that one more than anything, but the knowledge I have of all things HTML is fantastic.  So worth the headache and upper back pain.  Fo sho.

Took a midterm today.  In Strategic Analysis for Business Management.  And before you ask why I did not just jump into traffic when I registered for the class, I have to admit that it is one of the best I have taken.  Strategic decisions make sense to me.  And I like the teacher.  And I like the cases.  Which means I pay attention.  Which means I think I did well on the midterm.  Insane concept, I know.

Created a FAQ link for The Daily Card blog.  I feel like a really cool person.

Drank two cans of Diet Cherry 7-up.  I am obsessed.  Like obsessed enough to not care that it was not on sale when the Diet Coke was.  Round of applause for over-saturated industries and product placement!

Did not decide to enter rehab.  Please note the Britney reference on Aisle Seven.

the best new show on television.

Is Bam's Unholy Union.

You were expecting "Let's Get Crafty!", I know.

I am a huge fan of Jackass and the Jackass movies.  And I had heard that Bam was going to have a "Newlyweds"-style show on MTV.  But today at the gym I saw it for the first time.

It is fantastic.

Think a younger, prettier, darker-haired Martha Stewart marries a Tony Hawk/Gorilla with the attention span of a 2-year-old.

Oh, MTV, thank you for your exploitation in the name of entertainment.

no pictures to share & a new photo blog & a picture of la.

Hello, sunshine/freezing cool bedroom that is slowly killing me from the inside.

The Birthday Train brought Katy from Sacramento to LA this weekend.  We celebrated her 22nd last night by going to The Counter for dinner (a seriously cool burger place in Ocean Park) and then Bowling.  I took pictures, but I am trying this new thing where I am morally opposed to camera flash.  And unfortunately, I have not learned to work the digital well enough to make this work out.  So my photos are yellow.  Katy, I need some of yours.

But it was still a very good time.  So nice to see my Katy.

&

I decided to start a separate blog for the Cards.  The Cards that I am making every day for 365.  See the new blog here.  It is for sure a work in progress - but I am excited to be playing with a new format.  (I will also be using this blog to post updates and rehashes from "Let's get Crafty!"  As soon as we are on the air.)

&

Sometimes, like yesterday, LA is extremely pretty.  I think it is because of all the rain we had the day before.  On my way to Westwood, I decided to risk my life to take photos out the car window.  Which would have been okay, except this is the best photo I got:

I attacked it in iPhoto.  Much like the Highway Patrol would have attacked me for taking it. 

But I love Palm Trees.